Removalists charge about $170 an hour for two movers and a truck on a weekday (published rates, October 2026). The middle half of them charge between about $140 and $190.

For a local 3-bedroom move, two removalists' own estimates run from about $500 to $1,330, and may not include a call-out fee (the charge for getting to you) or extras. The cheaper estimate is from a removalist with one of the lowest hourly rates.

Moving a whole home interstate costs more. From Sydney to Brisbane, a truck-hire company's one-way van comes to about $2,200 to $2,500 if you drive it yourself, though it may be too small for a 2 to 3-bedroom home.

For the same trip, a container you pack yourself and send by rail is priced from $3,300 to $4,300 in a container company's September 2026 price guide (published prices, checked October 2026).

The hourly rate is only part of the bill. Minimum hours, travel time, weekend rates and stairs can add to it, so get two or three written, itemised quotes and compare the totals. If you're selling, book as soon as your settlement date is set.

How much do removalists charge per hour?

Two movers and a truck cost a median of $167.50 an hour on a weekday (October 2026). That's the middle rate: half of these removalists charge less and half charge more. Rates vary more between removalists in the same state than between states.

These are weekday rates for each removalist's cheapest truck with two movers. Where a rate was published "plus GST", we've added the GST. Some businesses are counted in more than one state, where we read their rate for a city in that state.

We found few rates we could count in the ACT, the NT or Tasmania. If you're moving in any of the three, ask two or three removalists for a written quote.

Where removalists publish a price for an extra mover, most charge about $55 to $77 an hour, GST included, and one charges up to $99.

How much does it cost to move a 1, 2, 3 or 4-bedroom home?

On two removalists' own published estimates (October 2026), a local move costs from about $200 for a 1-bedroom home with no large furniture to $1,700 or more for a 4-bedroom house:

The Sydney removalist's figures include GST and work out at its $190 hourly rate. The Melbourne removalist charges $100 an hour, one of the lowest rates published, and its estimates assume a move within 20 kilometres, with no large furniture for a 1-bedroom home. It doesn't say whether GST is included.

The Sydney removalist's estimates allow two to four hours for a 1-bedroom home and seven to nine hours or more for four bedrooms. How much you own, stairs, the walk to the truck and the drive between your two homes all affect how many hours it takes.

For a 4-bedroom house, removalists often suggest a bigger truck or a third mover, which costs more an hour. Whatever the size of your home, check whether an estimate includes the call-out fee.

What adds to the bill?

Here's what removalists charge on top of the hourly rate, from their own published prices (October 2026).

• Minimum hours. Two hours is the most common minimum. Some set three, and a couple raise it to four hours on weekends.
• Call-out and travel. A call-out fee covers the removalist's trip from their depot to you. Removalists charge for it in different ways: a fixed half hour or hour at the hourly rate, a travel or fuel fee (from $45 to $110 nearby, more further out), or the clock running from depot to depot.
• Weekends and public holidays. Many charge more on weekends, typically an extra $10 to $40 an hour on a Saturday, and more again on Sundays and public holidays. Some charge the same rate every day.
• How time is counted. After the minimum, most removalists that say how they bill use 15 or 30-minute blocks, and one bills by the minute.
• Stairs. In Brisbane, one removalist charges $25 a flight after the first 20 steps. In Perth, another charges a flat $100 per mover when the house is upstairs. Others charge nothing for stairs.
• Pianos and heavy items. A Melbourne removalist moves a piano from $250. Others charge extra for very heavy items. One adds $150 plus GST for anything over 150 kilograms, on top of its large-truck rate.
• Packing. Two professional packers cost about $100 to $200 an hour, some with materials included. Boxes cost $4.40 to $6.60 each at one removalist's shop.
• Storage. One removalist offers storage from $50 a week. Another advertises storage from $2 a day, priced by volume, with a one-month minimum.

If a removalist charges weekend rates, moving on a weekday avoids them. Weekends and the end of the month are also some removalists' busiest times, so a midweek, mid-month date can be easier to get.

How much does it cost to move interstate?

The cost depends on how you move and how much you take. Here's Sydney to Brisbane, priced four ways (October 2026):

Driving yourself. The van price is a one-way offer from three Sydney depots while vans are available, and it comes with a kilometre limit. It carries no date, doesn't mention fuel and is non-refundable. The insurance that comes with it is for the vehicle, and the offer doesn't mention cover for your belongings.

At 19 cubic metres, the van is smaller than the 24 to 35 cubic metres another Sydney removalist suggests for a 2 to 3-bedroom home or apartment. A home that size or larger may need a second van or a bigger vehicle.

A self-pack container. Trucks carry the container between your address and the rail depot, so the closer you live to a depot in a main centre, the cheaper it is. You get up to 40 days' hire in total, across loading at one end and unloading at the other.

The container company's September 2026 price guide lists these other routes, GST included. Its prices are estimates and may change in the peak season (mid-November to mid-January), with monthly fuel surcharges and with container availability.

Backloading. The Sydney removalist that suggested 24 to 35 cubic metres for a 2 to 3-bedroom home or apartment charges from $120 per cubic metre plus GST. At that rate, that comes to about $3,170 to $4,620 including GST, before any other charges. Other removalists publish rates of about $120 to $186 per cubic metre, depending on the route.

A dedicated truck. Removalists often price these moves only after an inventory or inspection of your home, so ask for a written quote.

Are your things insured during the move?

Not always. Removalists aren't required by law to insure your belongings during a move, and most only have insurance for their vehicle, according to the NSW Government. It recommends getting your own insurance for the move.

Transit insurance covers your things while removalists pack and move them, says the NSW Government, and you can extend the cover for a separate premium if they go into storage.

Some removalists include transit cover in their rate, others sell it separately, and not every removalist offers it. At one national removalist, extra transit cover on top of what's included starts at a $70 premium for $5,000 of declared value (what you say your things are worth), with a $500 excess (the amount you pay towards a claim).

Your home and contents insurance may already cover your belongings in transit, says the Queensland Government. Check whether it covers loss as well as damage and pays replacement value, and what the excess is.

A removalist's own terms can limit what it pays. Another national removalist pays no more than market value, or its insurance limit if that's lower, rather than the cost of replacing an item. It also caps each item at $1,000 unless you declare a higher value in writing before the move.

Its terms ask for claims in writing within 48 hours of the move, and say they don't take away the rights the Australian Consumer Law guarantees. Before you book, check the claim deadline and payout limits in the removalist's terms.

How to check a removalist quote

Ask each removalist these questions, and get the answers in a written, itemised quote:

• Is the price based on time or on the amount you're moving?
• Where does the clock start and stop, at their depot or at your door?
• What's the minimum charge, and how is time billed after it?
• Is there a call-out, travel, fuel or toll charge?
• Does the rate change on weekends or public holidays?
• Are stairs, heavy items, packing and materials included?
• What does storage cost if moving day is delayed?
• What insurance is included, and what does it pay out on?
• Is there a card surcharge, and do they want a payment upfront?

An hourly quote isn't a fixed price. If the move takes longer than estimated, you pay for the extra time.

The Queensland Government says upfront payments can be risky and suggests finding a removalist who doesn't ask for one. The NSW Government says you can check whether a removalist is accredited by the Australian Furniture Removers Association, though smaller removalists may not be members.

Moving after you sell

If you're selling, your moving day is tied to settlement. That's the day the buyer pays the balance and takes possession, unless you've agreed otherwise, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

You and the buyer agree the date in the contract of sale, and in Victoria the settlement period is usually 30 to 90 days. Our guide to negotiating your settlement date explains how to choose one that suits you.

Book removalists as soon as the date is set, and ask what it costs to change or cancel the booking. If there's a gap before you can move into your next home, price storage at the same time.

Our guide to the cost of selling a house covers the other costs of selling, and it's worth budgeting for move-out cleaning too. For the whole process, start with our guide to selling your home.

Where these figures come from

• Hourly rates: the published weekday rates of 32 Australian removalists, taken from their own websites on 20 October 2026. Each is counted once in the national figure, at its cheapest rate for two movers and a truck, including "from" prices. A bigger truck costs more.
• GST and discounts: rates published plus GST had 10 per cent added. Ten rates don't say whether GST is included and are shown as published. Time-limited discounts weren't used.
• Home sizes and extras: removalists' own published estimates, rate pages and terms, October 2026.
• Interstate: a self-pack container company's price guide (September 2026), removalists' own route pages and a truck-hire company's one-way offers, checked on 20 October 2026.
• Insurance, quotes and settlement: the NSW Government, the Queensland Government and Consumer Affairs Victoria.